Yale Beats Big Red at Lynah

ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell has dominated the overall men's hockey series with Yale, but the Bulldogs have had the upper hand in recent years. No. 5 Yale erased a 2-1 deficit midway through the contest with three straight goals to take its sixth straight game in the series, a 4-2 win over the Big Red before a packed house at Lynah Rink in ECAC Hockey action.

Junior goalie Mike Garman, who had 26 saves, stopped five of six Yale advantages while keeping the home team in the contest despite the shot differential.

At the other end, Yale senior Ryan Rondeau needed 15 saves to earn his fifth win of the year. He allowed the Big Red (2-5, 2-3) a pair of power-play goals on six attempts.

Rondeau made a few challenging saves early in the game because the Big Red got a man-advantage just 37 seconds in. He gloved a Joe Devin point-blank shot and got through consecutive power plays before Mike Devin blasted a long shot into the back of the net on Cornell's third opportunity late in the frame. Rondeau made a quality save from short range that set up a draw during a 5-on-4. The faceoff went back to Mike Devin at the top of the left circle. The defenseman sent a low slap-shot through traffic that went inside the near post.

The Bulldogs tied the score 2:50 into the middle frame when Root, a freshman forward, notched his first collegiate goal. Antoine Laganiere, who never touched the puck, deserved an assist because the goal could not have been scored without his fore-checking work behind the net. He knocked a Cornell player off the puck and the rookie, moving toward the net, swooped in and was alone on Garman. Root froze the goalie and then went forehand low to make it 1-1.

Cornell, which now has a 75-56-5 lead in the series, got another goal in traffic to take a 2-1 lead at 5:33. Joe Devin's shot from the point may have bounced off a defensive player before slipping past the Eli netminder.

The momentum shift did not last for long, and the prettiest play of the night was up next for the visitors. Kearney stole the puck at the red line and skated over the blueline. He spun around and sent a backhanded, no look, lead pass between defenders to Little. The senior forward slipped past the defense and flicked a shot inside the far post for the equalizer.

Yale killed off a few 5-on-3 chances in this game, and the biggest one was late in the second. Immediately after running out the second penalty, the Red got a grade-A chance on a Sean Collins breakaway. The Cornell skater tried to tuck the puck under Rondeau but the Yale goalie collapsed on it while moving backward toward the net. The officials blew the whistle for a frozen puck but the red light went on. They watched the video and determined it was not a goal.

The Bulldogs used a third-period Cornell penalty to get the winner. Kevin Peel's blast from the point hit the left post, bounced off the back of Garman's pads and squirted out to the right edge of the crease. Ziegler was there with an open side but had to first gather and move before he could deposit his third tally of the year.

Rondeau, despite just 15 saves, made a number of big stops in key situations. His save on a Locke Jillson third-period blast from the left circle helped Yale come out with the win, while the Elis waited for Garman to be pulled for an extra skater to put the game away.

With the extra skater, Cornell moved across center ice but a Bulldog picked off the puck and sent it to Mason at center ice. The senior center quickly sent it into the open net.